Reticulated sheet-metal structure.



No. 818,444. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

G. HOLDEN. RETIOULATED SHEET MBTAL STRUGTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1905.

w U I INYENTOR M I W 775 m. I

WITNESSES UNITED SATES OFFIOE.

GEORGE HOLDEN, OF MEROHANTVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO MERRITT AND COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed April 24, 1906.

Application filed May 19,1906. Serial No. 261.099.

10 (Ml whom, '17 may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HOLDEN, a resident of Merchantville, county of Camden, and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Reticulated Sheet-Metal Structures, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to a reticulated sheet-metal structure intended particularly for use as partitions, walls, gratings, screens, and the like.

It is my object to provide such a sheetmetal structure of substantial and uniform strength throughout and Without the weakness at the crossing of the strands which exists in woven wire or crossed and riveted metal strips. The reticulated sheet-metal structure is unitary, being composed of strands integrally united together and turned or twisted with reference to their points of junction, Which both strengthens the structure as a Whole and increases the size of the openings or meshes. My improvement also enables me to form the reticulated body with I an integral bounding-frame for securing the structure in place, thus rendering the fitting of the metal to separate frames unnecessary.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a reticulated sheet-metal structure embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, enlarged, on the line A A of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a piece of the body, showing the strands before they are turned or twisted.

The structure consists of a unitary body composed of a multiplicity of short integrallyconnected metal strands a, the strands between the points of junction with other strands being twisted or turned, as at 1), into a different plane from that of the unitary portions 0 at the points of unction. The strands a bound the openings or meshes d and form a unitary reticulated structure.

The structure is formed of sheet metal of suitable thickness and preferably in the following manner: The blank is first punched to form the openings d, which are shaped and disposed with reference to one another to suit the design. As shown, the openings are quadrilateral and are arranged in rows; but other shapes may be made and other arrangements employed. This punching of the sheet transforms it into a unitary body composed of a multiplicity of short strands,

each of which merges into other strands at its ends; but both the strands and the points of merger or junction lie in the same planethe original plane of the blank-as is illustrated in Fig. 3. The strands a are then twisted or turned between their ends transversely to the plane of the sheet and are brought into a position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in a plane transversely to the plane of connecting portions 0, which remain in the original plane of the sheet. As shown in the drawings, the strands a are twisted until their central portions are at substantially right angles to the original plane or to the plane of the connecting portions but I do not mean to limit myself to this particular amount of twisting. When all the strands are twisted to the same extent, their upper edges at the middle will be tangent to parallel planes, respectively, above and below the plane of the sheet or connecting portions, thus presenting on either side a level plane of supporting projections. If the sheet is not punched to its extreme edges, there will be left a continuous or unpunched selvage 6, connected integrally with the ends of the outer strands, thus forming an integral boundingframe for securing the reticulated body in place, and when desired these selvages may be flanged or bent to suit the uses to which the article is to be put. It is therefore unnecessary to fit the reticulated body to separate frames, as is necessary with Woven wire, expanded metal, and the like forms of reticulated metal. The twisting of the strands 12 into a plane transverse to the plane of the sheet greatly strengthens the structure as a whole, so that even when made of comparatively light sheet metal it will support very substantial weight.

In the particular design illustrated in the drawings, in which the openings (1 are quadrilateral, I have shown the corners rounded, as at The effect of this is to impart to the connecting portions 0, in which four strands merge, a four-pointed star-like effect when the strands b are twisted. This is, however, a matter of design only.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A reticulated sheet-metal structure consisting of a unitary body composed of a multiplicity of short strands integrally connected strands between the points of junction with other strands lying in a different plane from that of the unitary portions of metal at the points of junction.

2. A reticulated sheet-metal structure consisting of a unitary body composed of a multiplicity of short strands integrally connected together, with a series or number of strands meeting at the points of junction, said strands between their points of unction with other strands being twisted transversely to the plane of the uniting portions of metal at the points of junction.

3. A reticulated sheet-metal structure con sisting of a unitary body composed of a multiplicityof short strands integrally connected together at their ends, with a series or number of strands meeting at the points of junction, said strands between their points of junction with other strands lying in a plane transverse to the plane of the uniting portions of metal at the points of junction.

4:- A reticulated sheet-metal structure consisting of a unitary body composed of a multiplicity of short strands each strand merging into other similar strands at the ends and the portions between the ends of the strands lying in a plane transverse to the plane of the points of merger.

5. A sheet-metal structure consisting of a unitary body composed of a multiplicity of short integrally-connected strands said strands between the points of junction with other strands lying in a difierent plane from that of the uniting portions of metal at the point of junction, and a continuous strip or portion integrally connected with the ends of the outer strands to form a selvage.

6. A sheet-metal structure consisting 'of a unitary body composed of a multiplicity of short integrally-connected strands said strands between the points of junction with other strands lying in a different plane from that of the uniting portions of metal at the point of junction, and a continuous strip or portion bounding the reticulated body formed by said strands and connected with the ends of the outer strands to form a selvage. i

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

GEO. HOLDEN.

Witnesses:

EPHRAIM ToMLINsoN, H. S. BARNES. 

